The usage of computer integrated classroom (cic) technology tools in the study of interactions of knowledge construction among esl pre-service teacher

This paper takes a glimpse at the possible tools for collecting data on interactions of knowledge construction among ESL pre-service teacher. The main tool identified to compile the data collection of the study is a customized of computer integrated classroom (CiC) system. For that purpose, a pilot study on computer support face to face peer response using CiC was trialed with a group of students enrolled in a Microteaching course at the Faculty of Education, University Technology Malaysia. CiC was explored to see whether the system could facilitate both modes of synchronous interactions: text-based reporting and verbal interaction. With the assistance of software and hardware integrated in CIC, many computer supported collaborative learning activities could be carried out by ESL pre-service teachers such as recording, storing, retrieving, and monitoring of user profiles’ activities, learning materials and interactions

Inferring Biologically Relevant Models: Nested Canalyzing Functions

Inferring dynamic biochemical networks is one of the main challenges in systems biology. Given experimental data, the objective is to identify the rules of interaction among the different entities of the network. However, the number of possible models fitting the available data is huge and identifying a biologically relevant model is of great interest. Nested canalyzing functions, where variables in a given order dominate the function, have recently been proposed as a framework for modeling gene regulatory networks. Previously we described this class of functions as an algebraic toric variety. In this paper, we present an algorithm that identifies all nested canalyzing models that fit the given data. We demonstrate our methods using a well-known Boolean model of the cell cycle in budding yeast

Generic Cohen-Macaulay monomial ideals

Given a simplicial complex, it is easy to construct a generic deformation of its Stanley-Reisner ideal. The main question under investigation in this paper is how to characterize the simplicial complexes such that their Stanley-Reisner ideals have Cohen-Macaulay generic deformations. Algorithms are presented to construct such deformations for matroid complexes, shifted complexes, and tree complexes.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

How effective are heuristic solutions for electricity planning in developing countries

Acknowledgement The first author would like to acknowledge the University of Aberdeen and the Henderson Economics Research Fund for funding his PhD studies in the period 2011-2014 which formed the basis for the research presented in this paper. The first author would also like to acknowledge the Macaulay Development Trust which funds his postdoctoral fellowship with The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland. The authors thank two anonymous referees for valuable comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper. All usual caveats applyPeer reviewedPostprin

Wheat Markets and Price Stabilisation in Pakistan: An Analysis of Policy Options

This article provides a quantitative analysis of the effects of Pakistan government domestic wheat procurement, sales, and trade policies on wheat supply, demand, prices, and overall inflation. Analysis of price multipliers indicates that increases in wheat procurement prices (one means of promoting domestic procurement) have relatively small effects on overall price levels. Partial equilibrium analysis of wheat markets suggests that fluctuations in production, rather than market manipulation, are plausible explanations for price increases in recent years. Comparisons of domestic and international prices suggest that promoting private sector imports is one alternative for increasing supply and stabilising market prices, particularly in years of production shortfalls. Overall, this paper concludes that market forces play a dominant role in price determination in Pakistan, and that policies that promote the private sector wheat trade can both increase price stability and reduce fiscal costs.Wheat; Agricultural prices; Pakistan

Wheat Markets and Price Stabilisation in Pakistan: An Analysis of Policy Options

This article provides a quantitative analysis of the effects of Pakistan government domestic wheat procurement, sales, and trade policies on wheat supply, demand, prices, and overall inflation. Analysis of price multipliers indicates that increases in wheat procurement prices (one means of promoting domestic procurement) have relatively small effects on the overall consumer price index. Partial equilibrium analysis of wheat markets suggests that fluctuations in production, rather than market manipulation, are plausible explanations for price increases in recent years. Comparisons of domestic and international prices suggest that promoting private sector imports is one alternative for increasing supply and stabilising market prices, particularly in years of production shortfalls. Overall, this paper concludes that market forces play a dominant role in price determination in Pakistan, and that policies that promote the private sector wheat trade can both increase price stability and reduce fiscal costs.Food Policy, Food Price Stabilisation, Agricultural Policy, Food Price Inflation

Wheat Markets and Price Stabilisation in Pakistan: An Analysis of Policy Options

This article provides a quantitative analysis of the effects of Pakistan government domestic wheat procurement, sales, and trade policies on wheat supply, demand, prices, and overall inflation. Analysis of price multipliers indicates that increases in wheat procurement prices (one means of promoting domestic procurement) have relatively small effects on overall price levels. Partial equilibrium analysis of wheat markets suggests that fluctuations in production, rather than market manipulation, are plausible explanations for price increases in recent years. Comparisons of domestic and international prices suggest that promoting private sector imports is one alternative for increasing supply and stabilising market prices, particularly in years of production shortfalls. Overall, this paper concludes that market forces play a dominant role in price determination in Pakistan, and that policies that promote the private sector wheat trade can both increase price stability and reduce fiscal costsWheat, Agricultural prices, Pakistan

Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Pakistan

Distorted incentives, agricultural and trade policy reforms, national agricultural development, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, F13, F14, Q17, Q18,

Upaya peningkatan prestasi belajar pada mata pelajaran Al Qur’an Hadis materi surat-surat pendek melalui metode reading aloud pada siswa kelas III MI Al Hikmah Polaman Mijen Semarang tahun pelajaran 2010/2011

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui : Apakah Strategi reading aloud dapat meningkatkan prestasi belajar Al Qur’an Hadis di kelas III MI Al Hikmah Polaman Mijen Semarang. Penelitian ini menggunakan studi tindakan (action research) pada siswa kelas III. Dari hasil observasi secara langsung di kelas III yang pembelajarannya masih menggunakan metode konvensional, siswa cenderung kurang aktif dalam mengikuti pelajaran. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari saat pelajaran berlangsung. Sebagian siswa masih ada yang hasil belajarnya belum mencapai Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal (KKM). Obyek penelitian ini adalah MI Al Hikmah dengan populasi 89 siswa. Dalam penelitian ini peneliti mengambil satu kelas untuk penerapan pembelajaran dengan menggunakan metode reading aloud yaitu kelas III yang jumlahnya ada 15 siswa. Setelah pembelajaran dilaksanakan dengan menggunakan metode reading aloud maka terciptalah suasana pembelajaran yang aktif dan tercipta suasana kelas yang lebih hidup, siswa menjadi lebih aktif dan hasil belajar bisa lebih meningkat. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dalam 3 siklus , yaitu siklus 1,2 dan siklus 3. Setiap siklus terdiri dari 4 tahap yaitu perencanaan, tindakan, pengamatan dan refleksi.Prestasi hasil belajar dengan penerapan metode reading aloud pada siklus I rata-rata kelas mencapai 72,66 yang semula pada pra siklus mempunyai rata-rata 71,13.Pada siklus II rata-rata kelas menjadi 77,50 dan pada siklus III rata-rata kelas mencapai 80,85 Dilihat dari tahap demi tahap dapat terbaca adanya peningkatan yang segnifikan. Namun demikian masih terdapat satu siswa yang nilainya masih di bawah KKM. Hal ini disebabkan karena beberapa hal,diantaranya yaitu siswa memiliki daya ingat yang rendah dan tingkat intelektualitas yang rendah pula. Hasil penelitian yang dilakukan oleh peneliti membuktikan bahwa ada peningkatan prestasi belajar siswa dalam mengikuti pelajaran dengan menggunakan metode reading aloud, adanya peningkatan prestasi ini dapat dilihat dari hasil belajar yang diperoleh . Hasil penelitian tersebut, diharapkan dapat memberi pengetahuan kepada semua pihak (siswa, guru dan orang tua) bahwa dengan menerapkan metode reading aloud prestasi pembelajaran Al Qur’an Hadis dapat ditingkatka